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Thursday, December 8, 2011

Mayor Daniels' Job Mystery

From Bonnie

Was Janice Daniels asked to leave or did she voluntarily set her real estate license aside?

On the afternoon of Monday, Dec. 5, Troy Patch reported: Daniels also said Century 21, her employer, has asked Daniels to put her "license in escrow"– meaning she has "suffered consequences, too." The story is accompanied by a video where Daniels said, “They asked me to but my license in escrow, so I have suffered consequences.” Fox 2 News captured that comment on video, as well.

On the afternoon of Wednesday, Dec. 6, Nancy Robinson, a Realtor who works out of the same office as Daniels at Century 21 Town & Country-Troy, posted in getoutandlive.me that Daniels was asked to leave earlier that day, not just because of her infamous anti-gay Facebook post, but because of her lack of a sincere apology for the post, and that Century 21 Town & Country president Dan Kersten said something to the effect that such sentiment would not be tolerated the post hassince been edited .

The Oakland Press quickly reported a story based on the blog post and the reporter clearly stated that Robinson and Kersten were not available for comment. However, Jen Anesi at Troy Patch was able to reach Kersten, who said: “That is absolutely false … She has not been let go. She voluntarily put her license in escrow, so she’s not able to practice real estate.” Later that evening, she told WXYZ-TV reporter Tom Wait, “I haven’t been able to sell much real estate lately, so I put my license in escrow.” When asked if she had another job, Daniels replied, “Yes. No.”

So which is it? Was Daniels asked to leave or was it her own idea?

Actually, it’s none of our business if someone was fired, was politely asked to leave with an understanding between the employer and employee that there was some kind of amicable understanding, or if someone left on their own. That’s a private matter.

However, in Daniels’ case, it raises questions about an elected public official’s character and ethics. Why would she change her story? Was she vying for sympathy by saying, “I have suffered consequences,” on Monday, and then asserting a shift of professional priorities on Wednesday? And many people are concerned with Daniels’ political ideology and how it will affect her ability to lead the City of Troy. Political candidates and elected officials who identify themselves as Tea Party patriots and political conservatives often come under fire for remarks that attack and offend issues that affect the LGBT community – not just Daniels, but also people such as Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann. Daniels may never have to officially deal with an LGBT issue as mayor, but it calls into question her ability to make decisions in best interest for everyone who works and lives in Troy.

These are the reasons that stories like this are newsworthy. I’ve seen many comments online that suggest that the media is now on a Janice Daniels witch hunt, but in actuality, The Oakland Press, Troy Patch and WXYZ did their best to clarify information they heard in the rumor mill, which could have been even more damaging. However, how Daniels and Kersten responded to reporters will place more scrutiny by the media and the public as to how she continues to serve as mayor.